Wedge-tailed Shearwater

How to find it

Plan on a boat trip, since most birds are far out over the Pacific. On the sea route to Isla del Coco it is the most frequently seen shearwater in Costa Rican Pacific waters. Aim for January to March, when numbers peak. Now and then a few birds turn up near shore, especially near the entrance to the Gulf of Nicoya, so keep watching the water on crossings there. Expect some birds to be tiny dark specks far away.

How to recognise it

The pale morph is the usual one in Costa Rican waters. Look for these marks:

- Dark grayish brown above, with pale scaling.

- White below, with brown mottling on the breast sides, flanks and underwings.

- A tail that looks long at sea, wedge-shaped, which gives the bird its English name.

- A medium-sized, lightly built body, about 43 cm long.

Across its range the legs are salmon pink and the bill is black, and it is the largest of the tropical shearwaters. The dark morph is very rare in Costa Rican waters and is uniformly blackish brown below.

What it sounds like

Recording: Ben Dymond, CC BY 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

In Costa Rican waters it is usually seen alone or in small groups near the coast, and at certain seasons it sometimes gathers in large flocks. Around Isla del Coco and its seamounts it can arrive in groups of tens or even thousands.

Elsewhere in its range it feeds at sea by dipping its long, slender bill to the surface, taking fish and squid. It often takes prey driven to the surface by predatory fish, and it may feed alone or in mixed-species flocks.

Where it lives

It is a pelagic bird of the Pacific, and in Costa Rica it stays well away from the coast. It is a common to abundant visitor in the open water between Isla del Coco and the mainland, and it is listed as a visitor to the waters of Isla del Coco and the seamounts around it.

A few birds are now and then seen close to shore, especially near the mouth of the Gulf of Nicoya.

When to see it

Numbers in Costa Rican Pacific waters peak from January to March, with large seasonal flocks well off the coast.

Similar birds

Compared with the Pink-footed Shearwater, it has a paler underwing, a longer tail and a slimmer build. A Costa Rican seabird article shows the two side by side, and a single Pink-footed was a notable find on one Pacific day trip. The dark morph can be confused with a Sooty Shearwater, but the Wedge-tailed has a dark underwing, a longer pointed tail and pinkish legs, while the Sooty's are dark.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

The Costa Rican Spanish name is Pardela Colicuña, and Pardela Cola Cuña is another spelling in use. At breeding colonies elsewhere it is sometimes called the "moaning bird" for its groans and wails at night.

Status and conservation

The AOCR list classes it as M (migratory) for Costa Rica, and no nesting is known here.

Photography tips

On a Pacific day trip the birds can be tiny dark specks far away, so set modest expectations. One birder saw dozens in a day and reported pale, dark and intermediate forms. Watch for the long glides on stiff, outstretched wings, often low over the sea.